230 replies to this topic

[Destructor!!!]

Alex, I think the chimp means his stands are deployed like mine:

[Destructor!!!]

New, post dock-strike Shipping Dates are up!

01/09/13 STAR TREK TNG ENTERPRISE D SHIP (re-issue) APR084696

[DSTZach]

And I don't think price point has anything to do with the size or location of the stamp. I assume it isn't sculpted on due to our tendency to re-issue these items over time, necessitating regular changes in date.

I'm pretty sure the price is due to plastic costs and labour but I think what Alex meant and correct me if I'm wrong Alex, is that a stamp like that cheapens the toy and doesn't reflect the price paid for it.

I would debate the fact that our toys are made for adults and Playmates' toys are made for kids (they're more kid-friendly, but it's not like adult collectors had a lot of options for a while there, even with the last movie), but it doesn't change the fact that they are both toys. If Playmates toys are cheaper at all, it's likely due to the quantities produced. Ours are generally more limited, meaning a higher per-unit cost. But we still need to identify the manufacturer on the main part of the toy. And I don't think the battery cover is an option, it has to be on the primary body .

The B has unpainted, raised lettering along the secondary hull. I didn't see it on the first pass, although I'm sure it's in one of the pictures I shot. I doubt anyone will notice it unless they search.

The BoP has the legal etched into its rear red engine piece, it appears. You can definitely read it better when it's lit up, but it's really not very noticeable lit or unlit.

I'm sure your next question would be "why not etch it onto the D," and there could be a number of reasons. I think the main one is probably that it's an old tool, so the old stamp probably had to be removed, and we didn't have time to engrave new legal lines in the tool before production. But I'm sure there are other reasons I'm not privy to. I haven't gotten confirmation this is how it will be in production, but I'm assuming it will be. And yes, the AGT-D is the same.

[DSTZach]

Does the old D have two base peg holes on the secondary hull? The new one does, and one is the center of gravity for the whole ship, while the other is just for the secondary hull. As long as you don't angle it too extremely, you only need one base.

[s8film40]

...and the legal info to that ship was on the secondary hull near the stand hole I believe?

Yes, it's very hard to spot.

[Alex]

Alex, I think the chimp means his stands are deployed like mine

Ah, I see what you mean now. It appears that Zach might have a solution for you and A Chimpanzee and two Trainees. More on that in a moment.

I would debate the fact that our toys are made for adults and Playmates' toys are made for kids (they're more kid-friendly, but it's not like adult collectors had a lot of options for a while there, even with the last movie), but it doesn't change the fact that they are both toys. If Playmates toys are cheaper at all, it's likely due to the quantities produced. Ours are generally more limited, meaning a higher per-unit cost. But we still need to identify the manufacturer on the main part of the toy. And I don't think the battery cover is an option, it has to be on the primary body.

Zach, thank you for once again taking the time to clarify these things for us; I really do appreciate it. Out of curiosity, when did it become a requirement for the manufacturer's identification to be displayed on the primary body of the toy? The reason I ask is that it doesn't appear as though this was always the case. For example, all of your earlier releases lack manufacturer identification. The one exception is the reissued NX–01, and the I.S.S. Enterprise NX–01 variant, both of which use the same identification as the original release. ("

[DSTZach]

Manufacturer info may not be a legal requirement so much as legally a good idea. Not sure of the ins and outs of copyright law.

So previous ships not having it may represent less a change in the law and more a change in our way of thinking about protecting our intellectual property.

That said, I am surprised to hear that so many ships lack it, and I think you may have missed others like you missed the D's, Alex. What year did we re-issue the NX? I was unaware of this.

[Alex]

I'm in a bit of a rush, so I may elaborate on this later...

That said, I am surprised to hear that so many ships lack it, and I think you may have missed others like you missed the D's, Alex. What year did we re-issue the NX? I was unaware of this.

I'm going to look over some of the older ships for you later tonight Zach. To answer your question about the NX though, the reissue occurred around 2006, shortly after DST acquired Art Asylum. The big difference between the releases is that the bottom of the DST packaging includes a DST logo in addition to the Art Asylum logo, and the nacelle pylons had some minor retooling so that the engines didn't fall off in the way that they did with the Art Asylum release. Everything else is completely identical. The only way to tell the difference on an unopened ship is to look at the bottom of the box. Opened ones have different warp nacelles per the improved tooling.

[Alex]

As I understand it, the NX-01 was released by DST as the Mirror universe edition rather than a rerelease of the standard edition?

1701, this is incorrect. The Mirror Universe edition was released alongside a reissue of the standard NX

[Destructor!!!]

Sounds test for the re-issue up on Facebook.

[Destructor!!!]

It's not as noticeable, but he does sound chirpier than my ship does. Mine was not one of the ones afflicted with the slow-down on the first release.

Whether it's the new (and sorry, Zach, pretty crumby) camera Zach is using, or a one-off issue with the sound chip in the AGT sample he recieved, I wouldn't let it bother any of you.

[Alex]

Whether it's the new (and sorry, Zach, pretty crumby) camera Zach is using, or a one-off issue with the sound chip in the AGT sample he recieved, I wouldn't let it bother any of you.

Destructor!!! I just watched the test video on FaceBook; overall I'd say it sounds pretty good.

Re: Camera Quality
This time you can blame FaceBook's compression system; it doesn't handle low light situations well at all, as unfortunately evidenced by the overall picture quality. Zach's master footage probably looks just fine; this is almost definitely as FaceBook issue.

[Will Decker]

Standard Enterprise - D is now in stock and entertainment earth. Ordered. Check!

[Whirlygig]

Question about the window decals for the old D.

I requested 2 sets for my 2 ships long ago. Never applied them yet and I have not done decals like this for a long time, if ever.

Problem is that what I got were 3 decals oriented in one direction on the page, and 1 decal oriented the other direction. This gave me a first impression that DST had messed up and I could only do 1 of my ships.

Does the orientation of the decals on their cardboard backing matter? Will it be more difficult or impossible to apply one to the ship that faces the opposite direction needed?

[DSTZach]

There are definitely two sides. If you didn't get the right one, contact CS again. We still have them.

Instructions:
http://www.artasylum...al-application/